Scrubs: What have you learned from Ryan?
Ellen: Ryan has taught me patience, acceptance and good managerial skills, and because of him, I now have an extensive education on diabetes. He has been a role model for any student with a chronic medical condition to embrace it and maximize his potential. This life-changing event turned into a completely positive experience, and I’ve actually watched my school population become part of the team with Ryan.
Ryan gets a lot of attention from everyone simply because of the nature of his condition and the constant testing in my office. On occasion, this has evoked some feelings of “Why is he so special?” I often tell my other students that they are special, too, and that Ryan really is an ambassador for this disease; even though he gets a lot of attention, he has to live with the fact that he has a disease that will require monitoring and testing every day of his life, and it won’t go away unless there’s a cure in his lifetime. Through all of his activities, Ryan is working very hard to help that dream of a cure come true. He is involved in support of diabetes education as well as fundraising.
Scrubs Magazine followed up with Ryan to find out what his hopes and dreams are for the future. He replied that he’d like to be a teacher at Lowell Elementary. “I’ve learned from Ellen that I can do anything I want to do and be whatever I want when I grow up,” he says.
To learn more about Ryan’s trip to the Children’s Congress, visit Ryan’s Facebook fan page. Also, see the photo gallery of superstar school nurse Ellen Keane.
Oh my goodness, this article brought a huge smile to my face. What a great compilation of compassionate, educational information. I oftentimes do think that there is a misconception of the school nurse but Ellen has truly reversed that stereotype throughout this interview. I enjoyed how she described her advanced degrees as a backbone for her profession. And that truly says something for her as a person and how much she loves her job b/c this woman has two advanced nursing degrees and has chosen to work in the school nurse role- probably making significantly less than she could be (that is purely on assumption). I love how she described all of the types of children that she deals with and I think a huge point that people need to remember is that on a school campus, the nurse is indeed oftentimes the only medically licensed staff member. The connection with Ryan, his condition and his family is phenomenal and such an inspiring story. Really loved the article- everyone else will too!
Thank you Nicole!
Ellen, what a beautiful artical about you and your profession; needless to say, I’m so very proud of you and admire how you enjoy your profession. Talk to you soon.
Love, Do